The Center for Women and Work at Rutgers University

Problem: The Center for Women and Work at Rutgers University authored a study on family leave insurance that had important findings: the uptake of the program was lower than expected and that the state failed to meet its statutory obligation to educate the public about the program. The study, however, received very little traction both in policy circles and among the general public.

Anticipated Consequence: Without sufficient public awareness of family leave insurance, New Jersey families were not taking advantage of a resource that would improve their financial situation, health, and emotional well-being.

Role: Amplify was tasked to 1) increase public awareness and understanding of the study’s findings, 2) drive attention to this public awareness problem among policymakers, and 3) increase support for legislation to allocate state funding for a public education campaign.

Action: Amplify 1) produced a video that highlighted the study’s key findings, 2) crafted an earned media strategy to drive traffic to the video and increase awareness of the study, 3) screened our video at the State House in Trenton, where the State Senate President and Senate Majority Leader celebrated the anniversary of the family leave insurance legislation’s signing with a “birthday” party with cake, balloons, and children whose parents had taken advantage of the program.

Results: The video moved State Senator Buono to tackle Family Leave Insurance reform.